Work has started at First Bus’ Great Yarmouth depot to prepare the site for electric buses, as the firm continues its rollout of zero-emission public transport across Norfolk.
This investment at the Caister Road facility will support the introduction of 10 electric buses, which will operate on Service 8, connecting James Paget University Hospital with Caister via Great Yarmouth town centre.
High-power charging infrastructure is being installed at the depot, and the electric buses are expected to be in operation by the autumn.
The programme is part of a £13.8 million investment, £8.9 million of which is being funded by First Bus, with the remainder funded through a grant from Norfolk County Council’s Bus Service Improvement Plan (BSIP).
Under the same wider project, works are expected to begin at First Bus’s Vulcan Road depot in Norwich over the next few months.
This depot will accommodate 14 electric buses operating on routes linking communities in Thorpe Marriott, Horsford, Mulbarton and Ives Road with Norwich city centre.
Once complete, the Great Yarmouth depot will also become part of First Bus’s growing First Charge network, enabling the site to provide high-power electric vehicle charging for third-party fleets and supporting wider transport decarbonisation beyond the bus network.
Cllr Graham Plant, Cabinet Member for Highways, Infrastructure and Transport at Norfolk County Council, said, “This investment demonstrates how our Bus Service Improvement Plan is helping to deliver real, visible improvements for passengers.
“By working in partnership with First Bus, we’re reducing emissions, improving air quality and supporting the transition to a cleaner, more sustainable bus network across Norfolk.”
